A Guide to Pocket Resumes

Having mentioned pocket resumes in an earlier post, I thought it might be useful to provide some information on how to make one. The following is an edited extract from another blog post with the same title from Six Degrees Recruitment, Carlisle:


This Autumn, we are thinking small. Shrink your resume and take it everywhere you go.

It’s called a pocket resume and whether you print it on a business card or plop it on your iPhone with an app, it’s a great way to share some of your strengths. Because of its diminutive dimensions, you won’t give most of your credentials when you give one away, but you will provide new connections and hiring managers with an appetiser size of your talents.

Whether you’re in the thick of a job hunt or just tip-toeing into a stealth search, a pocket resume could be a crucial piece for marketing yourself. Why? Because it’s concise, discrete and easy to use at both career fairs and professional networking events.

“It’s a great networking piece” and a way for people to be “clear, precise and memorable,” said Mark Connor, Managing Director of Six Degrees Recruitment. “It really forces you to think what is absolutely critical,” he said.

Your pocket resume needs to dovetail with your elevator pitch, and may even have some of the same elements and phrases. But because it is the size of a business card, it really must be concise.

So how do you create a pocket resume? Here’s a quick guide:

Here’s what we feel should be on the list:

• Your phone number and email
• Web address for personal website, or social media profile
• Three titles that describe you and what kind of work you’re good at – and are seeking
• Standout traits: bilingual, ability to create web apps, others
• A short memorable summary, for example: “a one-man geek squad”

So what do you take off? Plenty. “You’ve got to cut, cut, cut” to make it concise. That means you skip your work history and university degrees – unless of course they will open a lot of doors.

Make sure the type size is at least 9 point so 50-something recruiters and others can read it. We prefer a one-sided format so the recipient can jot down something about you on the flip side. Other experts say using both sides to sell yourself may be a good idea. If you’re in the arts or creative professions, you may want to express that a bit with the design or a tiny illustration. It may be a good idea to test yours on a variety of people with different perspectives to make sure it works and really captures your essence.

At upcoming networking events, you want people to realise you’re an expert, and “put an impression in that person’s head” and hands with your pocket resume.

Thanks to Mark Connor for permission to use this material.

New Trends in CV Writing

A paper for careers professionals produced by a group calling itself the Career Thought Leaders Consortium has suggested amongst many other things some new developing trends in the use of CVs.

Apart from some interesting comments indicating for example that 50% of hiring managers no longer read covering letters and have an "almost-universal dislike" of functional CVs, there are some interesting tips that you may find useful when compiling your CV:

• It is still vital for the CV to make a strong impression "above the fold" i.e. in the first half page 
• 'Hybrid resumes that combine an amplified profile (the “functional” component) with abbreviated reverse-chronological detail on jobs can work for those with less experience, employment gaps, or other challenges.' Translated into more normal English, this basically means: Skills-based CVs can still work for the groupings mentioned.

• For online CVs it is becoming important to ensure a good match of keywords between any person specification and the CV text, e.g. by using software like Wordle
• It can be useful to include endorsements in the form of brief testimonial statements. LinkedIn recommendations can provide a useful source of quotes for testimonials.

If you are looking to try some more innovative approaches to CV writing, there are some emerging ideas suggested in the full report. You could look at producing a CV in a series of ten 140 character tweets as a #twesume on Twitter, an infographic CV in the form of a diagram, a popup CV that appears on your website, or a pocket resume that you can leave at networking meetings and careers fairs on the back of a business card.

Perhaps what needs to be added at this point is that many of the Career Thought Leaders Consortium are US-based and it may take some time for the likes of twesumes to establish themselves this side of the pond.  But in a situation where candidates are routinely urged to put out large numbers of CVs, it is easy to see that there may be a need to go for more innovative approaches.

Please let us know whether you have heard of any of them being used in the UK (and with what result) by adding a comment below.

CV or Resume – Which to use?

Basically it depends which side of the Atlantic you are on – even though both words actually originated from Europe.

Back in the USA…

There is some difference between them in the US. At only one to two sides of A4, a resume tends to be shorter than a CV, which can take up two or three sides of A4 and even longer in some circumstances.

The resume saves space by omitting some of the headings you’d expect to see in a UK CV, such as ‘References’ and ‘Hobbies and Interests’, while ‘Education’ is often restricted to last High School or College. Often they use small fonts with limited white space, giving a rather cramped impression to an outsider.

There is also a difference in the target audience in America. Resumes tend to be used when applying for commercial positions in the private sector. CV’s are more likely to be used for academic and public sector positions that require high levels of education. The structure is fundamentally the same as a resume but with more detail on educational and professional attainments.

CV in the UK…and Europe

In the UK and generally in Europe, the term CV dominates and can effectively be regarded as the same as a resume. BUT the structure of the UK CV isn’t exactly the same as either of its US counterparts:

· Two sides of A4 is a generally accepted rule.

There are exceptions when applying to very high level posts, or academic jobs that require an account of publications or research undertaken

· References are always included, although ‘Available on request’ is regarded as acceptable.

· Hobbies and Interests and at least your last Secondary School are usually mentioned as well as post-school education.

Vive la difference!

CV conventions still vary a lot from country to country. In India photographs are still required for some occupations and many applicants in mainland Europe still use them. In Italy, CV’s must contain a standard sentence for data protection purposes and in Germany ‘Marital Status’ remains a must and some organisations still prefer an old-fashioned ‘essay’ format.

Oh!… and stay away from the so-called Euro CV promoted by the European Union. It’s just a mish-mash of all the different approaches that won’t cut it with any but the most Brussels minded employers.

Now read the really interesting bit..

Should I pay for a CV or resume?

What you really need to know is that the internet is full of FREE information on the right way to write a CV or resume where you live. FREE advice on your drafts is available from many state-run careers advisory services. That means you should NEVER NEED TO PAY someone else to write a CV or resume for you – the internet and a wordprocessor with spellchecker are all you need to get started.

Colin Taylor is a careers adviser and freelance writer who has been publishing careers and employment related material for over five years. Find out more about him at http://www.coltext.com